1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lighting truss systems typically used in homes, offices, retail space, stages and trade shows. In particular, the present invention relates to trusses with electrical buss bars, insulator supports, and extruded aluminum carriers disposed in at least one steel truss chord and accessible for track light fixtures through slots.
2. Description of Related Art
Trusses are widely used to support overhead lighting units powered by electrical power cords dressed along the truss raceways. Truss systems for stages and tradeshow floors are available in I-beam, triangle, and square truss sections made from aluminum or steel. Steel trusses are strong enough to permit 40-foot spans, and aluminum trusses have the advantage that they can be made from extruded pieces. Extrusions allow the possibility of including power tracks inside for track lighting heads.
Trussing typically comes in ten-foot sections, and can be interconnected with 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6-way corners. The interconnections at the ends can be the tube-in-socket kind, or by butting together and bolting truss end plates.
Track lighting is another very flexible and adaptable lighting system, but more so for permanent installations. The power tracks themselves are usually very flimsy and need to be supported by bolting them to walls, ceilings, or support rods.
Line voltage track systems are dangerous and require large raceways that make the overall structures relatively large and clumsy. Low voltage systems enabled with step-down transformers permit much smaller and moderate structural piece sizes that make for easier and simplified installations.